Tallulah bankhead net worth

Women's History Network

American actress Tallulah Bankhead experienced a resurgence in popular culture after the release of Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood (2020) and Lee Daniels’ The U.S. vs. Billie Holiday (2021). Both Paget Brewster’s portrayal of Tallulah in Hollywood and Natasha Lyonne’s portrayal in Daniels’ film revived the question of Bankhead’s alleged affairs with women like actress Hattie McDaniel and singer Billie Holiday. News coverage focused on the legend surrounding Bankhead, rather than placing that legend in the full context of her life and career. Similarly, other recent articles focus on Bankhead as the inspiration for famous villain Cruella de Vil.

In on the joke, Bankhead wrote in her 1952 autobiography that she was a “co-author” of the rumors about herself. On the dissonance between her public persona and interior life, Tallulah wrote that while she appeared self-confident, she sometimes “churned with doubt.” Though she marketed herself as (and often was) a libertine, Bankhead was prolific, appearing in over 20 films and 50 stage productions by playwr

Biography

1902 - 1968

“If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.”

– Tallulah Bankhead

Tallulah Bankhead was born the daughter of Congressman William Bankhead on January 31, 1902 in Huntsville, AL. Her mother died of sepsis soon after her birth and as a result Bankhead was raised by several relatives. After winning a beauty contest at 16, she headed to New York City and found stage work but little success. Shortly after arriving in New York City, Bankhead moved into the Algonquin Hotel and became a member of the famed Algonquin Round Table and was dubbed one of the “Four Riders of the Algonquin” alongside Estelle Winwood, Eva Le Gallienne, and Blyth Daly. In 1923 Bankhead went to England, quickly becoming the most popular actress of the West End, creating a sensation with her flamboyant personality and husky voice. In 1931 she returned to the United States with a Paramount contract, but despite roles in several movies, her film career fizzled. Bankhead then returned to the New York stage in such productions as Dark Victory, Rain, Re

Tallulah Bankhead

American actress (1902–1968)

Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944). She also had a brief but successful career on radio and made appearances on television. In all, Bankhead amassed nearly 300 film, stage, television and radio roles during her career. She was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bankhead was a member of the Bankhead and Brockman family, a prominent Alabama political family. Her grandfather and her uncle were U.S. senators, and her father was Speaker of the House of Representatives. Bankhead supported liberal causes, including the budding civil rights movement. She also supported foster children and helped families escape the Spanish Civil War and World War II. Bankhead was an alcohol and drug user; she reportedly smoked 120 cigarettes a day and talked candidly about her vi

Copyright ©oilpike.pages.dev 2025